Plans for Passivhaus homes on Glasgow distillery site

Practice has lodged plans for 89 affordable Passivhaus homes on the site of the former Port Dundas whisky distillery in north Glasgow.

Known as Platform 3, the site at Dundashill is being developed for social landlord West of Scotland Housing Association (WSHA). It includes three-storey townhouses, three and four-storey blocks of flats, and a seven-storey landmark building.

The homes will be a mix of tenures: 74 for mid-market and 15 for social rent.

It will be the first development on the former distillery site, which is owned by Scottish Canals and is the subject of a masterplan by Igloo Regeneration.

Once the largest distillery in Scotland, whisky production at Port Dundas ceased in 2011 and the distillery was demolished.

Earlier this year, Igloo Regeneration revealed plans by six practices from the Glasgow area for low-carbon, customisable, timber-panelled modular housing at Dundashill. These are earmarked for the adjacent plot 4a. 

Rupert Daly of Collective Architecture said: "The client's brief to meet the Passivhaus Standard not only ensures the highest standards in energy efficiency and comfort for tenants, but has also been a defining factor, offering the design team and client the opportunity to challenge convention in all aspects of the design."

Sustainable design features include rain gardens, which will form part of the drainage strategy for the site and, together with hedges and strip planting, will give a continuous green strip around the buildings.

Director of Development and asset Management at WHSA, Andrew Kubski, said: "We are really excited by the stunning design of the development. This has been well received by Glasgow Urban Design Panel and has been approved by Scottish Canal's board, so we are now able to make our way to a full application with the city's planning authority."

_{^{A version of this article first appeared in Architects' Journal}}